Arrangement for modernizing buildings



Dec. 16, 1952 w, WQQD 2,621,765

ARRANGEMENT FOR MODERNIZING BUILDINGS Filed Nov. 12, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 E 4 INVENTOR T? 'mww/fia ATTORNEYS Dec. 16, 1952 R, w WOOD 2,621,765

ARRANGEMENT FOR MODERNIZING BUILDINGS Filed Nov. 12, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 f IF 6 /0 INVENTOR ROBE/77' M- W000 i wwww ATTORNEYS R. W. WOOD ARRANGEMENT FOR MODERNIZING BUILDINGS Dec. 16, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 Filed Nov. 12, 1947 IN ENT R ROfiERT IJ/ W000 ATIOHA EYS Dec. 16, 1952 R. w. WOOD ARRANGEMENT FOR MODERNIZING BUILDINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 12, 1947 INVENTOR W W m w R ATTORN EYS Patented Dec. 16, 1952 ARRANGEMENT- FOR; Mcnnnurzmc BUILDINGS:

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Application-November12, 1947; Serial-No.- 785,367

4: Glaims- 1 Thisinventionrelates.tobufldings, and'particularlyl tmmodernization. of the external: app ar.

anceofa; building.- or 'groupof. buildings.

With gmwth ofralcitvextending over. along period-z of;' years, it-;.is:inevita-hle that. differentbuildings: 0f the same block or; street shall; r.e

fleet varyin architectural styles and so jointly present-an.inccngrliousappearance. The efforts of: civic-minded groups. toremedy; the hodgepcdge, appearance; ofbusiness sections of their city: have. heretofore met; with. substantial: Op: position because the cast; involved; in. replacee merit.v or; re bu-ilding. at. least the treet.v faces. of the older, buildings-"i511 excessive I and: becauseythe inte uilding pr ram involves. still: further; expense:

or loss. Civic improvement programs. are also concerned with, the. adoption. of street: advertising displays which though. permittingmerchants. strikingly to identify, their stores orattract. ate.

tention to their goods do not. individually. detract from the overall appearance of the street, scene anddo not. jointly. present: an unsigh ly. u n n me,

In accordance, with the present. invention, mcd rnizationiof a building or grcun fj build: nss is eff tedbya tachmen to.t.he-.wa;1l1struc. ture; th reof: Qt a: ela vely nexpensiv and;

ur le. fa ade. which; conceals: all: cbiecticnable.

a h tec ur l eatures. of he... buildine. or. grcun ch tse i presents azaleas-ins modern appear.- a-n e; and hichpr des the;v visua ac r u d nd. mec an ca upport. o d sp ays. which ma readily liehanc d n: at Q1 sub ec matter whi h d'w h r rm partoi-tne a chitectural pattern of the facade.

o a a an ne orm. o the a innt on. he m dern i f ca s: ormed, at.v l ast in. ai r a t by e ticall s acked rows.

of la i elvro ho izonta str ps attac ed oa) ra e o k x en n outwardly from he w l ure-. be; cor cea fiii he-strip b n ownwar ly and nw r lyn inedto pr sent, s

p The, invention, further resides; in, the, methods.

.HQlIiOD: 3f: business. incident, to such re.-,

and: features of: construction and. arrangementshereinafter described: and; claimed;

For. a. more detailed understanding ofthe-invention, and. for illustration of various emb0di+ ments: thereof; reference ismade-to the acccme panying. drawings. inv which:

Fig. I, in perspective, illustrates a. typical tbusie ness; block before modernization;

Fig. 2 illustrates-the sameablock after. modernization in. accordance with. one form ofrthe invention;

Big. 3-is-the-same asiFig. 2.:WithjnC0lPQ1 I i0n of displayadvertising features andzwindowu onenmgs;

Fig; e isa front viewcf, a.,por.tion,.qf a.bu ild-.

ingundergoing modernization;

Fig, 5-; is. an. end: sectional; View. showing. the supporting; framework and; maskin e ements. ofthefacade of -Figs 2; andez Eigs.-. 6, 7:. and; .8': show; various. f rms; of mask: in v strips utilizable in Figs. 2 5

Fig. .9. is aperspective View. ofia eircun of: ui din sinan industrialsection;

Fig;. 1 0 shows h roup of: b ild n s of: Fi Q' mcderniZed' in. accordance withthe present n.- ve tion and: usin both. horiz ntal. nd. ertical. maski str ps;

.Fsis-r 11' is. a perspe tive View n aia sesca e showingdetailsof. construction o another: .onn 0f dernizin acad s.

E sis; an ndscct nal; iew of a. bu ldin employin th modification. cfand.

Eigs....13:;an9L 111,11. de ai illu t ate th c nstructien. o difierent; arm of; ma kin str ps suitab ef li-use-in Fi l1 and:

Particular inthe l r er and; elde c ies; t e Bus ness secticn or om in d bus ness. a d ndustri l; ections: compr e. bui dings ary g. W ely: he shti. prop QI1,.Q.19I' and; a chir tec ural styleand c J'QLIUJY'EI ent.- an. si t-- 1y;.denr ss n r nectac e- Thereislitt e incentive o. he. individ al. wner to. modernize the n-l pearance ofhisbuildin because of; excess v costs; whenpresent methods .of: modernization are em.- ployecl; requiring as. they. do. extensive use of. masonry and; expensi e. skilled labor.

In consequence, the efforts.- of* civic=improve.-. m ntr ups, se k ng by modernization of old.

buildings at least toapproximate the pleasing and stim at n p aran e; of t e st eets. f

. ablean lash n features: ommonly; se n nth business sections of the older cities, Fig. 1 is illustrative of an actual and typical business block. The four buildings shown are all of the outmoded architectural styles characterized by excessive ornamentation including friezes, cornices and arches of different periods; even more significantly, the shapes, grouping and levels of the windows of the different buildings substantially differ and these factors, in addition to those such as color not reproducible in Fig. 1, all contribute to an optically discordant effect.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the appearance of the group of buildings shown in Fig. 1 may be transformed by recourse to a modernizing facade P which conceals all objectionable features of all of the wall structures of the individual buildings and substitutes therefor a unitary wall structure of harmonious modern appearance.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, there may be attached to the old original wall structure I of the buildings a plurality of scaffold members 2 forming a framework to which masking strips 3 may be attached. More specifically, each of the scaffold members 2 may be provided or formed with a plurality of horizontally extending members 4 suited to be secured, as by flanges and expansion bolts, to the front face of the building. The vertical part 5 of each scaffold member is thus held substantially parallel to the original wall of the building but preferably, for reasons which later appear, some distance, as a foot or so, in front of it. The scaffold members 2-2 of Figs. 4 and 5 are each provided with a series of upwardly and outwardly inclined members 6 suitably attached to or formed from the scaffold member 2. The angle of inclination of the members 6 is such that strips 3 attached thereto jointly present, as viewed at Various angles from the street or ground level, a continuous unbroken surface which completely conceals the original wall structure. However, the spacing between the strips 3 is such that there is afforded, as generically shown by lines L and A, free access of light and air to the windows or similar openings in the front walls of the buildings. The masking strips 3 may be of thin sheet aluminum or other metal and since the total load imposed by them upon the scaffold members 2 is relatively small, the members 2 may also be of relatively light and inexpensive structure, such as metal tubing.

The vertical spacing between the successive rows of masking strips 3 may be uniform, as shown, or may, without loss of effective concealment of the original wall structure, be increased with increasing height above ground to effect economy of material and labor. In general, as far as concealment of the wall structure from observers at ground level is concerned, the spacing between the rows, the width of the strips 3, and the angle of inclination of the strips may be selected, for economy of material, in dependence upon the minimum angle of observation: for example, in a narrow street enforcing a large minimum angle of observation effective concealment may be obtained with greater spacing between fewer rows of strips, narrower strips or greater angle of inclination: the extent to which advantage may be taken of these factors depends upon whether or not it is also desired to preclude viewing from upper-story levels of adjacent buildings.

As shown in Fig. 5, the scaffold members 2 may terminate substantially above the eye level of pedestrians and rest upon or be concealed by the column members If! suitably horizontally spaced to avoid obstruction to the display windows and entrances in the original wall structure I.

The masking strips 3 may be flat, as shown in Fig. 4, they may be horizontally corrugated as Show by strip 3A of Fig. 6, or scalloped as shown in strip 33 of Fig. '7, or curved as shown by strip 3C of Fig. 8, to attain enhanced strength or rigidity of the thin sheet material. Any selected combination of these or other shapes of masking strips may be employed in a particular facade to obtain a desired ornamental effect. The cost of materials and erection of such a facade is small compared to the cost of replacing or rebuilding the original wall structure. Because of the low cost of the facade and the facility with which the facade paneling may be modified to change the appearance of a building, this type of construction may well be used in erection of a new building or group of buildings as well as for modernization of an old building.

The construction shown has the additional inherent advantage that for night display a battery of electric lights D may be disposed at suitable locations in the space between the front of the building and the front edge of the masking elements. These lights, concealed from observers at street level, illuminate the under faces of the masking elements 3, producing a diffused glow whose location and color pattern is predetermined by the concealed lighting array. Alternatively or additionally, some of the strips may be of translucent or perforated material to permit illumination by rear-lighting, as by lights E, Fig. 5. These translucent or perforated strips, apparently opaque as viewed in daylight from the street, may be arranged to provide luminous display at night.

Furthermore, and as shown in Fig. 3, the facade F may serve as the visual background for advertising signs or displays overlying, in the same plane, or underlying, selected areas or portions thereof and supported from the scaffold members 2 and without recourse to additional brackets, hangers or other supports extending from the facade itself. The masking elements 3 conceal not only the wall structure of the building but also the skeleton framework which supports the masking elements and the advertising display structures. Window-openings W, Fig. 3, may be provided in alignment with windows of the old structure without impairing, but in fact enhancing, the appearance of the modernizing facade and without impairing the fenestration, the provision of openings for light and air, of the building as determined by the windows of the old structure.

As illustrative of modernization of the appearance of another group of buildings typical of an industrial area, reference is made to Figs. 9 and 10. Treating the three buildings as an architectural unit for'modernization, the front and sides of the tallest building i2 are each concealed from observers on the main and side streets by a facade F in construction similar to that shown in Fig. 5. At a level not less than about roof-top level of the smallest building l3, or the stepback level of the intermediatebuilding hi, the masking strips 3 of the side facades SF extend beyond the rear wall of the tallest building I2 to bridge the gap between it and the smallest building !3 so to conceal the side wall of the latter and to block from view the workyard area between the buildings. The rear face of the smallest building 13 and the rear face of building It up to the stepback level may be concealed by a similarly constructed facade RF. The upper right face of building l4 may be similarly concealed, or, as shown, it may be concealed by an array of vertically disposed masking strips forming facade VF. The windowless rear walls of buildings 12 and [4 may in effect be extended by thin sheet projections beyond the dotted lines X and Y. The group of industrial buildings may thus be converted to an architectural unit harmonizing with modern industrial or oflice buildings in its vicinity.

In the modification shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the masking strips or sheets 3D may all lie in a common plane parallel to the original wall I of the building. The framework to which they are attached may comprise groups of vertically spaced brackets [6, the brackets of each group being connected by an elongated vertical memher I! to which the masking strips 3D are suitably attached as by bolts, screws, nails or the like. Particularly when the wall to be concealed is a blank wall, such as the rear walls of buildings 12 and 14 of Figs. 9 and 10, the masking strips 3D may provide a continuous unbroken surface close to the original wall; when, however, the strips 3D should permit access of light and air to the windows of the older structure and yet obstruct the view from street or ground level, they may be louvered and suitably spaced from the original wall as in Fig. 11. For example, as shown by strip 3E of Fig. 13, there may be provided a plurality of passages IBE formed by slitting the metal of the sheet and stretching it or deforming it to form semi-cones 19. Alternatively, there may be used masking strips 3F such as shown in Fig. 3 cut and bent to form passages l8F for light and air, the flaps I9F adjacent the openings serving to obstruct the line of sight from street level.

The advantages of the facade of strip construction are so great as to suggest its use on new buildings, particularly where it may be desired architecturally and frequently to change the appearance of the building without excessive rebuilding costs; or where the building as a whole is to be utilized as an advertising medium. For example, in Fig. 3, the sign D may be made a large part of the area of the facade. It may be supported within the plane of the facade to present a pleasing appearance by day. At night such a sign may appear striking indeed by suitable lighting combined with subdued indirect lighting behind the individual strips. Additionally, the strips at the upper level of the building may be perforated to lighten them and also to make visible at night displays hung behind them and flood-lighted. Such perforated strips at a distance have the appearance of solid strips. The perforations may be V in diameter or larger and closely spaced throughout each strip. Similarly, translucent strips may be utilized upon which may be projected shadow displays.

Though various arrangements have been disclosed and described as exemplary of the invention, it shall be understood that changes and modifications thereof within the scope of the appended claims may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a windowed wall structure of a building, of a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertically elongated scaffold members attached to the outside of said wall structure, said members forming a framework supporting a plurality of horizontal masking strips laterally spaced from said wall structure, said strips extending continuous and unbroken across the entire surface of said windowed wall structure to conceal the original surface thereof as viewed from ground level, but permitting light and air to enter the original windows of said wall structure.

2. The combination in accordance with claim 1, in which said scaffold members provide an inclined mounting for each of said masking strips so that each of said strips diverges upwardly and outwardly.

3. The combination in accordance with claim 1, in which said scaffold members are substantially flat and said masking strips are perforated to admit light and air adjacent the windows of said wall structure.

4. A modernizing facade for a composite building wall structure having non-uniform window openings therein comprising a plurality of spaced vertical scaffold members, said members being spaced horizontally apart greater than the width of the windows of said building wall structure, wall mounting means spaced vertically apart supporting said scaffold members outwardly away from the original wall structure, said scaffold members having vertically spaced and upwardly and outwardly inclined mounting members, and a plurality of horizontal facade panels attached to said mounting members extending the length of said building wall structure and across the windows therein to conceal the original facade of said composite building wall structure from ground level, but maintaining access of light and air to the original windows.

ROBERT W. WOOD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 754,541 Charlebois Mar. 15, 1904 826,904 Spelman July 24, 1906 856,117 Waldmire June 4, 1907 1,242,940 Hopper Oct. 16, 1917 2,056,359 Marty Oct. 6, 1936 2,210,516 Wheeler Aug. 6, 1940 2,397,458 Allen Apr. 2, 1946 2,432,445 Roe Dec. 9, 1947 2,484,769 Wolters Oct. 11, 1949 OTHER. REFERENCES Sweets Catalog File, Architectural, 1942, Section 13, page 12. (Copy in Division 33.) 

